Chapter 178 Danger is approaching
On the same day, Zhao Ji led his army to raid the Khitan royal court.

The Khitan troops in the Dongxishi Valley did not know at this time that the Khan was dead and their old nest had been destroyed, so they were secretly brewing a major war.

Outside the Dongxishi Valley, in the Zhou army's central military tent, the air was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.

Wang Xiaojie's face was extremely ugly, and he shouted angrily: "What does Qiu Jing do for a living? How many times has the food been robbed?"

"Reporting to the general, this is the fourth time this month. The camp now has less than ten days' worth of food left." Zong Huaichang stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of caution and helplessness.

"Ridiculous!" Wang Xiaojie's eyes widened, and he was furious. "What on earth is going on? The Khitan camp clearly didn't send out a single soldier, but our army's grain transport team was attacked frequently, and each pursuit was fruitless. Could it be that the Khitans can really fly and hide underground?"

Wang Xiaojie's voice echoed in the big tent. Su Honghui, Zong Huaichang and others all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe.

After a moment, Wang Xiaojie took a deep breath, tried to calm his anger, and gave Su Honghui an order: "Send more people back to Pingzhou to urge for grain, and double the guards protecting the grain! If anything goes wrong again, I will hold you and Qiu Jing accountable!"

Su Honghui trembled slightly when he heard this, and quickly responded, "Yes. I promise that there will never be a next time."

"General, our army's food and grass are about to run out, and the Khitans are refusing to come out, so it will be difficult to defeat them for the time being. Otherwise, let's withdraw our troops back to Pingzhou first." Zong Huaichang said cautiously.

Wang Xiaojie glared at Zong Huaichang with a look that seemed to want to kill him. There was silence in the tent for a moment.

At this moment, Yan Feishi ran into the tent and said, "General, I have confirmed that there is indeed a large group of Khitan troops heading north from the East Gorge Stone Valley. They have indeed been quietly withdrawing their troops in the past few days."

Wang Xiaojie was stunned for a moment: "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

"I saw it with my own eyes." Yan Feishi said firmly.

Su Honghui immediately stood up and said loudly: "General, according to the captured Khitan prisoners a few days ago, rumors are spreading in the Khitan camp that Li Jinzhong is seriously ill and has returned to Yingzhou to recuperate."

"Now there are signs that the Khitan army is withdrawing. This is a godsend opportunity. Our army should immediately send troops to break through the Khitan camp, occupy the Dongxishi Valley, and open up the road to Yingzhou."

Wang Xiaojie sat back in his seat, looking solemn, and did not express his opinion for a while.

Zong Huaichang stepped out to refute Su Honghui, saying: "General Su is wrong. Since it is a rumor, it is naturally unbelievable. Instead, it is possible that it is a trap set by the Khitan army to lure our army into it."

Su Honghui smiled when he heard this, and slowly shook his head and said, "Otherwise, Li Jinzhong's serious illness may be a rumor, but the Khitan army's withdrawal is not false."

"It should be that General Zhao's detachment has already reached the heart of the Khitan. In order to save their home base, Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong had no choice but to quietly withdraw their troops and return to provide support."

After many days, Zhao Ji's troops had already set out from Danzhou, and the matter of the detachment could no longer be concealed, as both the Khitan and Zhou armies knew about it openly.

Wang Xiaojie nodded secretly in his heart, thinking that what Su Honghui said made sense.

Zong Huaichang hesitated and asked again: "General, didn't you and General Zhao agree to keep each other informed? Can you verify it?"

Su Honghui did not wait for Wang Xiaojie to speak, and said impatiently: "General Zong is confused. The two armies are hundreds of miles apart. How can they communicate with each other? Even if Governor Zhao wants to report, it will be too late when the general receives the news."

After saying this, he turned to Wang Xiaojie and continued to lobby: "General, if Governor Zhao's detachment is unstoppable while our main force is hesitant and fails to achieve any success, it will be difficult for you to explain to the soldiers and Your Majesty!"

"The army is running out of food. If we cannot seize the opportunity, we will have to withdraw and lead the Khitan army back north. Please do not hesitate any longer, General."

After Su Honghui finished speaking, he bowed deeply.

These words revealed Wang Xiaojie's thoughts. He was indeed anxious and eager to make a contribution.

Zong Huaichang tried to comfort him: "General, the Khitans have attacked us repeatedly and robbed our food supply. Now they are suddenly retreating. There may be something fishy going on. Please think twice." Yan Feishi was impatient and said: "General, our army has more than 100,000 troops. Apart from General Zhao's detachment, the defenders of Danzhou, Pingzhou, and Jizhou now have 70,000 troops in the camp."

"Let's set up our formations and fight with real weapons. The Khitans are no match for us. No matter what their purpose is, we cannot let them act. We must at least seize the Khitan camp."

Wang Xiaojie heard this, his eyes flashed with determination, and he said repeatedly: "General Yan's words are very much in line with my opinion. Our army is not afraid of the Khitan. If Commander Zhao really reaches the heartland of the Khitan, we must not allow Sun Wanrong to return to help."

"However, General Zong's concerns are not without reason. We should attack with part of our troops first to test the Khitan's strength. This way, we will be safe."

"The general is wise!" Su Honghui and Yan Feishi praised in unison.

Zong Huaichang sighed secretly, knowing that Wang Xiaojie would no longer listen to his advice, and looked frustrated.

"In this case, General Yan, I will order you to lead 10,000 elite troops to attack the Khitan camp and see how they react." Wang Xiaojie ordered.

"I obey your command!" Yan Fei Shi responded.
-
The test was successful from the results, and the Khitan army was indeed somewhat weak.

Although the Khitan camp was trying its best to resist, it was indeed short of manpower and its defense line was stretched. Secondly, the combat effectiveness of the Khitan defenders was extremely poor, and it seemed that only the old, weak and sick were left.

Under the fierce attack of the Zhou army, the Khitan camp was on the verge of collapse and full of flaws, which were all seen by Wang Xiaojie.

"General, send more troops. General Yan's 10,000 men can have such an effect. If we add a few more people, we can capture the Khitan camp!" Su Honghui said excitedly.

Wang Xiaojie was overjoyed, but he also felt that the Khitan army's resistance today was too weak and not normal.

However, the victory was before his eyes, so he had no reason not to take it: "Pass the order, have all the troops press forward, we must capture the Khitan camp today!"

However, just as Wang Xiaojie's order was issued, the Khitan camp was breached by the Yan bandit Shi.

The Khitans in the camp were in a panic, throwing away their weapons and armor and fleeing in all directions.

Yan Fei Shi led his troops in pursuit all the way, like a force to be reckoned with, and the defeated Khitan army had no power to fight back at all.

Witnessing this scene, doubts began to emerge in Wang Xiaojie's heart, and a sense of uneasiness quietly grew.

"Honghui, don't you think that the performance of the Khitan army today was too poor?" Wang Xiaojie asked for no reason.

Su Honghui smiled and consoled him, "General, you are worrying too much. This is because our soldiers are ready to go. They are gathering their strength and recuperating, and it is also because of the general's proper command."

"Moreover, the main force of the Khitan army has been transferred to the north, and the remaining ones are all old, weak, sick and disabled. It is not surprising that their combat effectiveness is poor. They even lost their main camp and are in a state of retreat. As the saying goes, a defeated army is like a mountain collapsing. What waves can they still raise?"

Wang Xiaojie sat astride the horse and nodded slowly, agreeing with Su Honghui's statement.

"Having said that. It's still better to be cautious. Send a message to Yan Feishi and tell him to be careful when chasing." Wang Xiaojie suddenly said.

The messenger received the order and left.

Su Honghui looked nonchalant and smiled, "General, is this necessary? Aren't you being too cautious?"

Wang Xiaojie shook his head and said, "It's better to be cautious. Sun Wanrong is not an ordinary person. We should be prepared for the withdrawal."

As he was speaking, a scout came to report: "Report, General, the Khitan army has set up an ambush in the valley, General Yan requests support."

(End of this chapter)